Spring Has Sprung--Spruce Up Your Career

Winter is ending. I can honestly say I am happy to see spring coming. Many people get the urge at this time of year to do spring cleaning and clear out the old clutter. Now might be a good time to do some professional spring cleaning, too, and get your career in shape for spring.

Consider the following tips to spruce up your career:

• Sit down with your supervisor and discuss ways you can become more of an asset to your company.
• Ask for feedback on your performance; do not take criticism personally, but rather use it to grow professionally.
• Think about ways you can positively set yourself apart from coworkers by performing your tasks more efficiently and offering positive solutions to problems.
• Update your skills.
• Look for ways you can add value to your company by saving money or time or by increasing profits or productivity.
• Keep up with industry news and developments in your field.
• Take a class or attend a seminar.
• Find ways to get along with everyone in the office, including those hard-to-deal-with coworkers.

A little spring cleaning can go a long way to improving your career.

Promote Career Success

Spring is coming. Don't be fooled by thinking career success will automatically happen without input on your part. Career success needs to be cultivated and attended to daily. Here are some things to do every day to make sure you are promoting career success:

• Plan for your advancement by writing down your goals.
• Maintain a positive attitude.
• Do something every day to add value to your company. This can be as simple as doing the best job you can do each day.
• Do more than required.
• Look for solutions to problems.
• Maintain a professional demeanor.
• Be a results-oriented employee.
• Make yourself valuable to your boss.
• Hone your leadership skills.
• Ask your boss to evaluate your work and provide feedback.
• Ask if there is anything else you can do be valuable to your boss.
• Steer clear of gossips and troublemakers.
• Get along with everyone in the workplace.

By maintaining a "success" mindset, you can steer your career in the right direction. What steps have you taken to ensure your career success?

Choose a Mentor Who Will Help You Succeed in Your Career

If possible, find a mentor who is willing to teach you what you need to know and do in order to attain your goal(s). This mentor should be someone who has the character traits you admire and who is in a position you aspire to hold or is doing what you hope to do. He or she should give you straightforward information and honest, positive critiques. You don’t want someone who says, “Yes, you are wonderful,” without providing proper guidance and criticism that will mold you into the person you hope to be.

How do you find a mentor? 

• Network, network, network. You have to put yourself out there and ask for help. Most people are willing to help others
• Join groups and seek successful members.
• Observe others in the workplace. Who would be the best person from which to learn?
•  Take a class, get a tutor, or hire a coach.

Your mentor should be an expert in the area in which you want to learn. In addition, he/she should be able to teach; that is, get information across in an easy-to-understand way. Some people are experts in their fields, but they cannot convey information to others clearly.

Modeling successful people who have achieved what you want provides a readymade road map to reach your goals.

Balance Your Personal and Professional Life

Take time this Easter to enjoy family and friends and to renew yourself spiritually. Living a balanced personal and professional life is crucial to your successful well-being. Too much attention to your professional life to the exclusion of your personal life will cause you to miss out on important "self" time. Too much attention to your personal life and not enough on your professional life will cause career stagnation. Develop a routine that personally fits your life plans and make corrections when it is out of balance.

• Take steps to maintain a healthy physical and mental balance.
• Practice good time and stress management.
• Get and stay organized.
• Maintain a positive attitude.

When you think of balance, consider all areas of your life, including work, family, friends, health, finance, spiritual, hobbies, and everything else that fits into your life. Balance in all areas of life is a key to contentment

Balance Your Personal and Professional Life

Take time this Easter to enjoy family and friends and to renew yourself spiritually. Living a balanced personal and professional life is crucial to your successful well-being. Too much attention to your professional life to the exclusion of your personal life will cause you to miss out on important "self" time. Too much attention to your personal life and not enough on your professional life will cause career stagnation. Develop a routine that personally fits your life plans and make corrections when it is out of balance.Take steps to maintain a healthy physical and mental balance.

• Practice good time and stress management.


• Get and stay organized.


• Maintain a positive attitude.

When you think of balance, consider all areas of your life, including work, family, friends, health, finance, spiritual, hobbies, and everything else that fits into your life. Balance in all areas of life is a key to contentment

Spring Forward in Your Career

This weekend we will “spring forward” by turning our clocks ahead one hour. Perhaps this is a good time to determine how to spring forward in the workplace by seeking advancement. Here are some quick tips to help you climb the corporate ladder:

· Clearly define your career ambitions.
· Learn all you can about what it takes to advance in your company.
· What do the top people in the company do on a daily basis?
· Are you willing to accept those responsibilities?
· Develop a plan of action that allows you to emulate the top people in the company.
· Master the tasks you are given and look for ways to do them more efficiently.
· Follow through on all tasks
· Keep a record of your accomplishments.
· Know the criteria your supervisor uses to evaluate your performance.
· Learn something new each week.
· Find ways to overcome obstacles (brainstorm ideas, find a mentor, make better
decisions, take a class, etc.)
· Find small ways to manage your time better.
· Dress and act like a professional.

Be Prepared--Create Positive Opportunities

It's still October, but snow has arrived in Pittsburgh, bringing with it a lesson--always be prepared. That's a good lesson for all of us to remember every day. Be prepared. You never know what opportunities or misfortunes might show up on any given day. I prefer to look on the positive side and think each day will bring new opportunities.

Many people miss opportunities they don't realize were presented to them until long after they are gone. Don't let that happen to you. Be on the lookout for opportunities that will improve your personal and your professional life. Here are some ways you can create your own opportunities or take advantage of ones presented to you.

• Help others improve their lives


• Bring happiness to others


• Assist coworkers with their tasks


• Assist the boss with special projects or find other ways to make his job easier


• Ask for help when you need it


• Reflect on the positives in your life and be thankful


• Focus on the important things


• Commit to being open to opportunities

With an awareness of what is going on around us, we can all be better prepared.

Keep Your Life in Balance

Another holiday weekend provides us with another chance to balance our professional life and personal life through rest and relaxation. Here are some tips to keep your life in balance not only during a holiday weekend, but also throughout the year.

• Develop a routine that allows just the right mix between time spent on your personal life and professional life. Too much time or too little time spent on either can upset the balance needed to live your best life.


• Create a daily plan.


• Focus on the tasks you absolutely have to do and downgrade the rest according to how necessary it is to complete them.


• Forget about things you cannot change. Banish irrational and pointless worry.


• When problems arise, step back and look for solutions. Do not let problems paralyze you.


• Ask for help when you need it.


• Keep work and ambitions in check--balance them with family, friends, hobbies, and interests.


• Take a breather. Sit quietly and focus on your breathing for several minutes.


• Keep company with people who lift you up, not those who tear you down.


• Do your part in taking care of your health by eating right and exercising.


• Let go of anger and grudges that erode your peace of mind.

Never lose sight of what is most important to you. Take time to relax and enjoy family and friends this Fourth of July. And remember the servicemen and servicewomen who sacrifice for us.

Make Yourself Indispensable on the Job

Continuing with the "hang onto your job" theme, I have added more ways to keep your job and get ahead in the workplace.

• Speak kindly to everyone--every day.


• Go above and beyond for your customers. If there is something special you can do, do it.


• Go above and beyond for the boss by making yourself valuable to him or her.


• If you must offer criticism, say something positive first.


• Update your professional image.


• Maintain a positive attitude at all times.


• Maintain a "successful" mindset.


• Make a plan for your advancement and write steps you can take toward that goal.


• Look for solutions to problems.


• Hone your leadership skills.


• Stay away from troublemakers and gossips.


• Be a results-oriented employee.

Taking appropriate steps today can lead to a rewarding career tomorrow.

Are You Meeting Your Goals?

Today is a rather rainy spring day. It seems like a good time to stay inside and revisit your goals. Think about the following questions:

• How are you coming with your personal and professional goals?


• Have you made the progress you intended to make when you set them?


• Is there anything else you can do to move yourself closer to your goals?


• Can you revise or rewrite your steps for attaining your goals?


• Are there goals on your list that you should remove or revise?


• If you have met most of your goals, can you think of new ones to set?

Taking time to assess goals and, if needed, revise and rewrite them will keep you motivated and on track to personal and professional success.

Resume Tips

Since January is the start of a new year, many people will be looking for a job or changing careers. In this turbulent economy, that may seem like a daunting task. Here are some tips to put together a winning resume for your job search.

Even if you are not currently searching for a job, you should always keep your resume updated.

1. Keep your resume to one or two pages; employers are time strapped.
2. Instead of a job objective, briefly profile your achievements in a sentence or two.
3. Use the keywords from the job description or from your particular industry.
4. Locate important information in a prominent place where employers will see it during a 30-second scan of the resume.
5. Quantify whenever possible--use numbers, dollar amounts, and percentages.
6. Do not overuse fancy fonts, underlines, bullets, bold, boxes, tabs, etc.
7. List a professional email address.
8. Never lie or exaggerate your experience, skills, achievements, or education.
9. Do not list references on the resume; prepare a separate reference page.
10. Customize the resume to fit the job description.
11. Always send a customized cover letter with the resume showing how your qualifications meet the employer's needs.
12. Print the resume on quality paper; and proofread carefully checking spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

A well-prepared resume just may get you that job interview.